King James Bible Dictionary

1. Heb. abel (Judges 11:33), a "grassy plain" or "meadow." Instead of "plains of the vineyards," as in the Authorized Version, the Revised Version has "Abel-cheramim" (q.v.), comp. Judges 11:22; 2 Chronicles 16:4.

2. Heb. elon (Genesis 12:6; 13:18; 14:13; 18:1; Deuteronomy 11:30; Judges 9:6), more correctly "oak," as in the Revised Version; margin, "terebinth."

3. Heb. bik'ah (Genesis 11:2; Nehemiah 6:2; Ezekiel 3:23; Daniel 3:1), properly a valley, as rendered in Isaiah 40:4, a broad plain between mountains. In Amos 1:5 the margin of Authorized Version has "Bikathaven."

4. Heb. kikar, "the circle," used only of the Ghor, or the low ground along the Jordan (Genesis 13:10-12; 19:17, 25, 28, 29; Deuteronomy 34:3; 2 Samuel 18:23; 1 Kings 7:46; 2 Chronicles 4:17; Nehemiah 3:22; 12:28), the floor of the valley through which it flows. This name is applied to the Jordan valley as far north as Succoth.

5. Heb. mishor, "level ground," smooth, grassy table-land (Deuteronomy 3:10; 4:43; Joshua 13:9, 16, 17, 21; 20:8; Jeremiah 48:21), an expanse of rolling downs without rock or stone. In these passages, with the article prefixed, it denotes the plain in the tribe of Reuben. In 2 Chronicles 26:10 the plain of Judah is meant. Jerusalem is called "the rock of the plain" in Jeremiah 21:13, because the hills on which it is built rise high above the plain.

6. Heb. arabah, the valley from the Sea of Galilee southward to the Dead Sea (the "sea of the plain," 2 Kings 14:25; Deuteronomy 1:1; 2:8), a distance of about 70 miles. It is called by the modern Arabs the Ghor. This Hebrew name is found in Authorized Version (Joshua 18:18), and is uniformly used in the Revised Version. Down through the centre of this plain is a ravine, from 200 to 300 yards wide, and from 50 to 100 feet deep, through which the Jordan flows in a winding course. This ravine is called the "lower plain."

The name Arabah is also applied to the whole Jordan valley from Mount Hermon to the eastern branch of the Red Sea, a distance of about 200 miles, as well as to that portion of the valley which stretches from the Sea of Galilee to the same branch of the Red Sea, i.e., to the Gulf of Akabah about 100 miles in all.

7. Heb. shephelah, "low ground," "low hill-land," rendered "vale" or "valley" in Authorized Version (Joshua 9:1; 10:40; 11:2; 12:8; Judges 1:9; 1 Kings 10:27). In Authorized Version (1 Chronicles 27:28; 2 Chronicles 26:10) it is also rendered "low country." In Jeremiah 17:26, Obadiah 1:19, Zechariah 7:7, "plain." The Revised Version renders it uniformly "low land." When it is preceded by the article, as in Deuteronomy 1:7, Joshua 11:16; 15:33, Jeremiah 32:44; 33:13, Zechariah 7:7, "the shephelah," it denotes the plain along the Mediterranean from Joppa to Gaza, "the plain of the Philistines." (See VALLEY.)

(Genesis 13:18; 14:13; R.V., "oaks of Mamre;" marg., "terebinths"). (See MAMRE; TEIL-TREE.)

PLAIN-DE'ALING, adjective [plain and deal.] Dealing or communicating with frankness and sincerity; honest; open; speaking and acting without art; as a plain-dealing man.

PLAIN-DE'ALING, noun A speaking or communicating with openness and sincerity; management without art, stratagem or disguise; sincerity.

PLA'IN-HE'ARTED, adjective Having a sincere heart; communicating without art, reserve or hypocrisy; of a frank disposition.

PLAIN-HE'ARTEDNESS, noun Frankness of disposition; sincerity.

PLA'INLY, adverb With a level surface. [Little used.]

1. Without cunning or disguise.

2. Without ornament or artificial embellishment; as, to be plainly clad.

3. Frankly; honestly; sincerely; as, deal plainly with me.

4. In earnest; fairly.

5. In a manner to be easily seen or comprehended.

Thou shalt write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly Deuteronomy 27:8.

6. Evidently; clearly; not obscurely. The doctrines of grace are plainly taught in the Scriptures.

PLA'INNESS, noun Levelness; evenness or surface.

1. Want of ornament; want of artificial show.

So modest plainness sets off sprightly wit.

2. Openness; rough, blunt or unrefined frankness.

Your plainness and your shortness please me well.

3. Artlessness; simplicity; candor; as unthinking plainness

4. Clearness; openness; sincerity.

Seeing then we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech. 2 Corinthians 3:12.

This one term does duty in the Authorized Version for no less than seven distinct Hebrew words.

1. Abel . This word perhaps answers more nearly to our word "meadow" than any other. It occurs in the names of Abel-maim Abel-meholah, Abel-shittim and is rendered "plain" in (Judges 11:33)

   "plain of vineyards."

2. Bik'ah . Fortunately we are able to identify the most remarkable of the bik'ahs of the Bible, and thus to ascertain the force of the term. The great plain or valley of Coele-Syria, the "hollow land" of the Greeks, which separates the two ranges of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon is the most remarkable of them all. Out of Palestine we find denoted by the word bik'ah the "plain of the land of Shiner," (Genesis 11:2) the "plain of Mesopotamia," (Ezekiel 3:22,23; 8:4; 37:1,2) and the "plain in the province of Dura." (Daniel 3:1)
3. Ha shefelah the invariable designation of the depressed, flat or gently-undulating region which intervened between the highlands of Judah and the Mediterranean, and was commonly in possession of the Philistines.
4. Elon . Our translators have uniformly rendered this word "plain;" but this is not the verdict of the majority or the most trustworthy of the ancient versions. They regard the word as meaning an "oak" or "grove of oaks," a rendering supported by nearly all the commentators and lexicographers of the present day, The passages in which the word occurs erroneously translated "plain" are as-follows: Plain of Moreh, (Genesis 12:6; 11:30) plain of Mamre, (Genesis 13:18; 14:13; 18:1) plain of Zaanaim, (Judges 4:11) plain of the pillar, (Judges 9:6) plain of Meonenim, (Judges 9:37) plain of Tabor, (1 Samuel 10:5)

PLA'IN-SONG, noun The plain unvaried chant of churches; so called in contradistinction from the prick-song, or variegated music sung by note.

PLA'IN-SPOKEN, adjective Speaking with plain, unreserved sincerity.

PLAINT, noun [Latin plango, to strike, to beat, to lament, whence complaint; Gr. to strike, from the root disused, whence, a stroke; Latin plaga, Eng. plague.]

1. Lamentation; complaint; audible expression of sorrow.

From inward grief

His bursting passion into plaints thus pour'd.

2. Complaint; representation made of injury or wrong done.

There are three just grounds of war with Spain; one of plaints; two upon defense.

3. In law, a private memorial tendered to a court, in which the person sets forth his cause of action.

4. In law, a complaint; a formal accusation exhibited by a private person against an offender for a breach of law or a public offense.

PLA'INTFUL, adjective Complaining; expressing sorrow with an audible voice; as my plaintful tongue.

PLA'INTIF, noun In law, the person who commences a suit before a tribunal, for the recovery of a claim; opposed to defendant.

[Prior uses this word as an adjective, in the French sense, for plaintive, but the use is not authorized.]

PLA'INTIVE, adjective Lamenting; complaining; expressive of sorrow; as a plaintive sound or song.

1. Complaining; expressing sorrow or grief; repining.

To sooth the sorrows of her plaintive son.

PLA'INTIVELY , adv. In a manner expressive of grief.

PLA'INTIVENESS, noun The quality or state of expressing grief.

PLA'INTLESS, adjective Without complaint; unrepining.

PLA'IN-WORK, noun Plain needlework, as distinguished from embroidery.